Category: Opinion

Just a man

This week the Official White House photographer Pete Souza revealed his favourite photos of Obama

Looking at these photos I found myself singing that Flash Gordon song – not the noisy ‘Flash, Ah Ah. Saviour of the universe” part, but the slower bit of ‘Just a man, with a man’s courage”.

I think these photos show why Obama has been so popular (whatever your own politics). Because whatever tough job he’s had to do, he’s shown us that he’s also ‘just a man’ – a human that we can relate to.

He’s not an unreachable, perfect, presidential superhero. He’s shown all sides of himself: a person who can be joyful, fearful, compromised and totally fucked off – even this week, shaking hands with a man he clearly thinks is a total cockwomble!!

obama-2

Just a man: a husband, a father, a team member, a friend.

All of those things are just as important as ‘a President’.

To me that’s inspirational.

I’m a mum, a wife, a daughter, a friend, a colleague and an Unbalanced Woman who spouts out a load of crap in my blog. I’m far from perfect at any of them.

I’m not a superhero with one super power. I’m an Unbalanced Woman who does a million things as best she can. Like everyone does.

That’s what these photos show me.


“Just a man, with a man’s courage

He knows nothing but a man
But he can never fail.

No one but the pure of heart
may find the golden grail
Oh oh oh oh”

(Queen)

Full set of photos here:http://9gag.com/gag/ajqEV90

Make-up free?

Oh dear. I’ve just had to have a word with myself!

I read this article about people’s reactions to Alicia wearing no make-up to a red carpet event and I had 3 thoughts within a split second…

1. Good for her

2. How dare people judge her

3. I couldn’t do it. Surely she could have got away with some mascara!!

And it’s the last one that shocked me. Why do I feel like that? Who set the rule that I feel I have to follow?

Now first of all, let’s be clear. I don’t go to red carpet events very often. OK, ever. And actually I’m not a big make-up wearer at the best of times. But there are days when I feel I NEED to wear it.

Last night for example. I had a hospital appointment at 7pm. I was working at home during the day so it was scruffy clothes and bare face. But I felt the need to slap a bit on to go to see a doctor. For fucks sake, why?

I remember thinking, “I look rough”. So foundation, mascara, lipstick and suddenly I feel ready. Ready for what? Did I think the doctor would give me different test results if I look less rough??

Of course it’s ridiculous.

And yet, tomorrow when I go to London to a big meeting, I will definitely wear make-up because I do feel more confident when I feel I look nicer.

Is that wrong?

I totally support any woman’s decision to go make-up free or to contour the fuck out of their face. Whatever makes you happy. Men too.

I am questioning why people even need to talk about it. Why do people feel the need to support or condone Alicia by commenting on Twitter. Is the point she’s making that it’s not important what anyone else thinks?

I don’t know. Ultimately I don’t care. My test results were all clear, so clearly wearing make-up worked for me!

http://indy100.independent.co.uk/article/alicia-keys-didnt-wear-makeup-to-the-vmas-and-got-publicly-shamed-for-it–WJQOIng57dW

Offended!

Those who know me will tell you that I’m not easily offended. But watching Channel 4’s new dating show, ‘Naked Attraction’ made me feel like Mary Whitehouse.

If you haven’t seen the show, the idea is that a single person gets to see six potential mates before choosing one to go on a date. The difference, (of course you can see what’s coming – not a pun… yet) is that the contenders are all naked. And there’s actual science bits where graphics and a voice-over explains why our primitive brain is naturally wired to find certain attributes, such as strong thighs, to be attractive to those seeking a mate.

So far I’m OK. This could actually be interesting I thought. I bit like Big Brother when it first started. If I go beyond the obvious voyeurism, this could be psychological education. It’s not Channel 5 after all.

Each of the contestants is behind a different colour screen and henceforth known as ‘Green’ or ‘Pink’ etc. The screens then reveal the naked people from the bottom up, starting with waist-down, full-frontal glory.

The episode I saw was a male Picker, was choosing from six female colour-coded Contestants. The screen goes up and we are now eye level with an assortment of Minge-Master-Pieces. I say this because they were all fully groomed and presented in different coloured frames. None of these ladies was showing off her natural, bushy Lady Garden. Not even a well manicured lawn. Five of them were completely bald, and I would describe Number 6 as having ‘a neat gravel border’. I commend her for being the only one to at least acknowledge there was once a garden there.

But now we approach the part where I got offended. The host asked the picker what he thought, and if he liked what he saw. And he was happy. He pointed to the gravel and said “That’s as much hair as I allow”.

Allow!!!

There are many words that went through my head at that point and most of them have the same meaning as Lady Garden but have fewer letters.

What an absolute…. xxxx!

Funnily enough there was no mention of science or primitive attraction during this section. But I had a primitive urge to tie a very tight knot in his garden hose.

I thought we’d moved beyond judging people by what they look like, but apparently not. It’s HER garden. SHE can choose what she does with it.  We all have preferences but are we happy to accept people actually reject a person based on the amount of grass (or gravel) on their front lawn?

Ladies, grow what you want down there, trim it, shape it, or remove it. Hell, put a picket fence round it if you want. Sod what anyone else thinks.

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